


love to see you smile

by barelyprolific



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Casey is vegan, Crack Relationships, Crack Treated Seriously, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Maggie is neurotic and it gives Casey heart-eyes, Maggie likes cheese, Mentions of PTSD, Romantic Fluff, Unresolved Romantic Tension, brief mention of transphobic parent (not Casey's)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2019-11-28 18:50:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 4,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18212204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barelyprolific/pseuds/barelyprolific
Summary: A collection of my caggie drabbles and ficlets from tumblr.





	1. untitled caggie ficlet no. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey-o, nobody ships this but me! That's cool, though. I ship it enough for everyone.

When Parker had appeared beside her as she left a patient, Maggie figured there was an update on someone, or he needed to get her for a consult.

Parker doesn’t say anything, though. Just walks next to her, back ramrod straight, holding his ipad behind him with both hands, chin up. Practically at attention. It feels wrong. This is not the Parker that has started bumping her shoulder while they walk, making a joke, eyes on her face to make sure she laughs.

Not that Maggie has noticed him doing that.

The point is that this is old Parker, Parker from before near death and Teddy Altman turned her life upside down. It still hasn’t righted itself, not really, because she’s walking next to an intern analyzing his body language like it matters to her.

“Okay,” she mutters, mostly in self-disappointment, puts a hand on Parker’s arm and ducks them both into a stairwell exit. Drops her hand to cross her arms over her chest. “ _What_? Because you’ve got that face you make when I eat something you find offensive, but I’m not eating anything. Which means something is wrong,” Maggie concludes. Looks Parker in the eyes and throws her hands up. “I really hate that I know that!”

Nothing she’s said changes Parker’s expression. There isn’t a single hint of the twitch Parker’s eyebrow does that means he’s amused by her ranting, which Maggie used to think meant Parker was making fun of her but is lately starting to read as fond? At least he doesn’t interrupt her. Just listens.

Except she’s not talking now, so there is just silence. Maggie’s face softens.

“Was it a patient?” She hesitates. “You’re in peds today, right?”

Parker nods. Reluctant. It still takes a minute for him to speak. “Kid about twelve. Asked us to call her Jodie. Then her father showed up.” A sharp breath. “Her father was an asshole.” His voice is low. Maggie reaches out slowly, one finger touching his wrist, but Parker doesn’t say anything else. Maggie kind of thinks she hears it all, though.

“What did Doctor Karev do?”

“Karev sent me out of the room.”

And now Parker is here, in front of Maggie. Her fingers wrap around his wrist, squeeze gently.

“I hate that she has to go home with him,” she murmurs. Parker meets her eyes again. Encouraged, Maggie continues. “It must be so hard for you to see a kid in that situation and not know if they’re safe at home or not. I can’t even imagine, and I’m so sorry there isn’t more you can do about what is, truly, a crappy situation. Was it…I mean. Social services could step if, if you’re worried about…”

“I thought about that.” Maggie squeezes Casey’s hand again. “It gets tricky, though.”

“Right. I get that. Is there anything I can do?”

“You want to help?”

Finally, a new expression. Even if it is one at Maggie’s expense. “I’m going to pretend I’m not very offended by your clear surprise and disbelief and magnanimously say, yes.”

There it is. It’s small, but the twitch happens. Maggie’s shoulder relax tension she hadn’t even noticed was there. Parker squeezes her fingers.

Oh. They’re holding hands now.

“I think I’m going to give her the number of a hotline and a pamphlet for a teen support group,” Parker tells her.

“That sounds like a good idea.” Maggie nods. Wants to look down at their hands. Which are linked.

They are holding hands. Still.

Nope. She keeps her eyes on Cas–Parker’s face.

“Thanks for making me feel better.” Parker lets go. Finally.

Finally, right?

Her hand feels cold, though. She slides it into the pocket of her lab coat. “I didn’t do anything.”

Parker smiles at her. An actual smile, and he isn’t even making fun of someone. Maggie thinks.

“Yeah. You did.”


	2. untitled caggie ficlet no. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buying them something unrequested because it made you think of them + Participating in their hobby even if it doesn’t personally interest you.

“Parker!”

His name being shouted had the intern in question jumping to attention where he’d been slouched over the counter at the nurse’s station. There were cupcakes for someone’s birthday today, chocolate with strawberry frosting, and they were vegan, which was a rare thing.

Casey wanted one.

“Parker, there you are!” 

He probably wasn’t getting one. Casey turned around, and his shoulders relaxed a little.

It was just Maggie.

“Doctor Pierce. Good afternoon.”

“I’ve been looking for you all morning,” Maggie said, face flickering into something grumpy for just an instant. Probably wondering what her life has come to, that she spent her morning look for an intern. Casey had to fight to hide his smirk,

“Did you need me for something?”

Maggie stared at him for a moment–studied him, really, eyes narrowed slightly as they flicker over his face, down his body and back up to his eyes–then shook her head slightly, reached into the pocket of her lab coat. 

“Um, uh, yeah.” She wavered, then pulled whatever it was out. “Yesterday I was shopping for my niece’s birthday, and I saw this.” 

_This_  turned out to be an avocado squishy, attached to a key ring. Casey stared at it, dangling from Maggie’s finger. Her face fell slightly. 

“Because, look–” Her hand gripped the toy, bunching it up this way and that until its face was scrunched up, almost confused. “This is the face that you make when I say something really weird. You know? Like when I say that I’d rather die from a volcanic eruption than drowning because–See! That face, right there.” Maggie pointed at Casey’s face, then at the squishy.

Casey looked at the squishy.

“You know what? This was a stupid… I don’t even know why I thought…” Maggie’s fingers curled around the squishy, compressing it down, and Casey reached out instinctively, tapping her wrist gently. 

“Hey, no. I like it. I thought you were making a joke about my avocado toast habit.” 

Maggie’s hand relaxed, her nose wrinkling. “I’m trying to forget that you ate that in front of me.” 

“It’s good.”

“It looks disgusting.”

“You’re just weird about food.”

“I am not, I’m particular, and there’s nothing wrong with–”

“Particular is just another word for weird–”

As their bickering continued, both pretended not to notice the way Casey’s fingers curled around Maggie’s, coaxing the keychain out of her grip.

It was attached to his keys by the end of the day.  


	3. untitled caggie ficlet no. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following their family traditions that they enjoy.

“Your family does this every first day of spring?” Maggie asked doubtfully, glancing at the window. Outside, as typical for Seattle, the sky was grey and the ground was damp. It wasn’t raining at the moment, but it had been and would be again soon.

“Rain or shine,” Casey confirmed, reaching for the pyrex dish of hummus stuffed mini-peppers that he’d prepared for their picnic. “First day of spring, we have a picnic in the park, and then we come home and start spring cleaning.”

“That’s so…practical.”

Casey looked over at her, raised an eyebrow. Maggie laughed. 

“I guess I just didn’t realize all the Parkers were pragmatic.”

“Please.” Casey added a bottle of wine, the finishing touch to their basket, then leaned over to kiss Maggie’s cheek. “ _Superbia in Pragmatism_  is our family motto.” He picked up the basket. “You ready?”

“You promise this park has a gazebo?”

“We will not be sitting in the rain while we eat.”

“Then,” Maggie put her hand on Casey’s arm, smiled at him. “I’m ready.”


	4. untitled caggie ficlet no. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calming them down when they have a bad dream.

It didn’t happen often. In fact it happened so rarely that Casey didn’t even think to mention it to Maggie until after the first time it happened, which was almost six months into their relationship.

So when it happened this time, it was only the fourth time Maggie had had to deal with Casey having a nightmare. 

His thrashing woke her up, and then the groaning, like he was in pain. Maggie sat up, turned on the light. Reaching out, her hand hesitated, hovering over Casey’s shoulder, then settled down on it, shaking gently.

“Casey,” she murmured. Nothing happened. She tried again. “Casey!” 

Still nothing. Maggie sighed, bringing her other hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose, then took a deep breath, barking out, “Lieutenant Parker!”

Gasping, sweating, Casey jerking away and up. Maggie pulled back just in time to avoid getting hit in the face with the top of his head. It took him a few seconds of glancing wildly around, and then his breathing slowed.

“Nightmare?” he asked, stiff, barely glancing at Maggie. She sighed, reaching out again to curl her hand around the back of his neck, her other one cupping his jaw to turn his face to hers.

“Are you okay?”

Still avoiding her eyes, Casey nodded in her hands. Maggie dropped them, letting one slide down his arm to squeeze his hand. “I’ll make some tea,” she said, getting out of their bed and moving towards the bedroom door. “You pick out something for me to read when I get back.”

She wasn’t surprised when she returned to the room with two steaming cups of lightly sweetened chamomile, and Casey had picked out a medical journal. She settled back in next to him, handing him a cup, and once Casey was tucked against her, Maggie started to read. 


	5. untitled caggie ficlet no. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Making their favorite meal when they are having a hard day. + Tucking your head into their neck during a hug.

“You look exhausted.”

“Gee, thanks.” Maggie shoots Casey a humorless look as she sets her purse down on the battered little table he’s got in the hallway by his front door. He’s sitting on the couch, socked feet propped up on an equally battered coffee table, in sweats and an old t-shirt from his Air Force days. He’s eating a bowl of cereal out of a plastic bowl that probably has Disney characters on the bottom.

“I just meant it must have been a long day.”  

Maggie thinks of Jackson’s luxury apartment, his fancy dishes. Casey’s place is cluttered and full of second-hand furniture. The way he explained it, he didn’t have much in the way of personal belongings coming out of the military, and he went straight into med school and living in student housing. He hasn’t had time or motivation to nest properly.

Hopefully, having a girlfriend who lives in the same state will help with the motivation part of things. Maggie understands the cozy comforts of a cramped little apartment, but she also enjoys the occasional splash of luxury.

Right now, though, she just wants to enjoy her boyfriend. Her boyfriend who completely gets her–and  _that’s_  worth all the luxury in the world. She slips off her flats, moving deeper into the apartment. “It was a long day. It was a long, difficult day, and I couldn’t even call you into a stairwell to rant about it.”

“Well, you can rant about it now.” Casey drops his feet, puts his cereal bowl down and opens his arms. Maggie sits down next to him, curling her own feet under her and leaning in. As Casey’s arms wrap around her, she tucks her head against his neck, cuddling into his chest a little more. One of Casey’s hands starts rubbing her back. 

“Oh, I’m going to,” she tells him, reaching between them to fish out the remote and change the channel. “And then we’re ordering real food.”

“Or I could just cook.” 

Maggie pulls back a little, putting her hand on Casey’s chest and raising an eyebrow. “Cook?”

“Macaroni and cheese?” 

“Real cheese?” Maggie checks, “Not fake vegan cheese, which I am not saying is gross, but…”

“Real cheese,” Casey interrupts with a laugh. “Real macaroni and cheese. From scratch. It’s kind of why I already ate. Thought you might want something good for dinner when I checked the board after my shift this morning and saw you had three back to back surgeries today.”

Maggie groans at the reminder, closing her eyes and dropping her head to his shoulder again. “Macaroni and cheese sounds amazing.” 

Casey kisses the top of her head, and she can feel him smile. 


	6. untitled caggie ficlet no. 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gift.

“Happy birthday,” Maggie sing-songs as she and Parker step into the cardio lab, Parker closing the door behind them. Maggie takes advantage of him doing so to skip forward a couple of steps, grab the gift bag she’d left there earlier. “I got you something... I hope that’s not weird.”

Parker’s expression says it’s at least a little weird, but his mouth says, “Why would it be weird?”

Maggie opens her mouth, closes it, rolls her eyes. 

“You know what? It wouldn’t be if I hadn’t said I hoped it wasn’t. So let’s just pretend I never said that, and you can open your present.” She holds out the bag. Eyeing her with something akin to wariness, Parker reaches out and takes it. Maggie’s not sure which of them is being careful to not let their fingers touch.

Maybe it’s all in her head. 

“I got you something practical,” she says to fill the silence as Parker rummages through tissue paper. “You seem like a practical person, and I saw this, and I went, ‘That’s very practical,’ and thought of you, and I know--because Helm and Qadri keep talking about your party--I knew today was your birthday, so I just thought…” 

Maggie trails off when Parker finally removes the contents of the gift bag. A slim, brown case that he opens with a quirked brow. 

“It’s a pen.”

“It’s a fountain pen. Refillable. So you don’t need to keep buying plastic ones over and over again. Very practical. Also, very professional. You’re a resident now, professionalism is important.” 

Something in the look Parker shoots her makes Maggie’s stomach flip. 

“Of course it is, Dr. Pierce,” he agrees, easing the tension in Maggie’s shoulders. His voice is so nice. Listening to Parker is like being submerged in a warm bath full of her favorite oils. She watches him take the pen out of the case, which he sets down carefully. Her bottom lip finds her way between her teeth as Parker holds it up, studying the detail. 

It isn’t a particularly fancy fountain pen. Sleek, silver.

“Are those my initials?” 

“Um.” Maggie’s face feels hot. “You know, I just...in this hospital, pens get pocketed. This way, you know it’s yours.” She waves her hand over Parker’s frame, for emphasis. The grin she gets in response makes her breath catch.

She should go. 

No, Parker should go. It’s her lab. 

“Blue ink?” Parker’s moved on to testing it on the little notepad he keeps in his lab coat. 

“Because,” Maggie starts to explain, stops. She can’t say what she thought in the store, which was that Parker’s eyes were the same shade of blue as the ink. “I mean if you don’t like it, you can buy black ink. Or--any color, really.”

“I love it,” Parker says, pulling to closer to him almost protectively. “Really. Thank you, Dr. Pierce. It’s a great pen.” 

“Well.” Maggie takes a deep breath. “You’re welcome. Now...go check on patients. Page me if you need me.” 

Parker looks at her a moment longer, long enough that Maggie’s heart wedges up in her throat. Then he’s moving fast, a whirl of blue as he packs up the pen and leaves the room. Leaves Maggie standing there with shaking hands. 

Into the quiet of the room, she mutters, “Oh, God.”


	7. untitled caggie ficlet no. 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: blood + request

“Ouch!”

The word comes from the direction of the kitchen, muffled. Maggie’s ears still pick up on it, and she exchanges a look of concern with Meredith, hands her Ellis so that Maggie can stand.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” Casey glances up at her, smiles, but it looks like more of a grimace.

“He’s bleeding,” Zola tattles. She’s been watching Casey chop and grate and…whatever else it is he’s been doing. “He sliced his thumb cutting a carrot.”

“So go get him a band-aid.” Maggie steps over Bailey, lying on the floor, walks towards the kitchen. She goes around the counter to stand next to Casey, her hand on his shoulder. “You work with scalpels, and you cut yourself in the kitchen.”

“I got distracted.”

“Mm,” Maggie’s eyes brighten, she presses her lips together to keep from smiling. “Zola talking too much?”

“Nah,” Casey chuckles, “It was you.”

“Wow,” Maggie laughs, “Not even trying to go for subtle.” Her hand slides down his back as she leans in to kiss him.

“Try not to get distracted, please.”

“Does he do this in surgeries, too?” Meredith teases when Maggie rejoins her. “Has he ever walked into a pole because of you?” She looks over at Parker, who is listening with red ears and a grin. Zola is carefully putting a band-aid on his thumb.

“Well? Do you?”

“No,” Parker laughs, “’Cause she tells me not to.”

“Wha–Casey!”

“So you like that she’s bossy.” Meredith ignores Maggie’s outburst. So does Casey.

“Meredith!”

“It’s a useful trait to have.”

“Ah, but an annoying one.”

“I’m right here!” 

“I think it’s cute.” Casey grins.

_“Parker!”_  

“Alright, kids,” Still chuckling, Meredith stands, setting Ellis on her feet. “We should give Casey and Aunt Maggie some privacy so that Aunt Maggie can stop pretending to be embarrassed.” 

“I am not pretending.” Maggie is already on her feet again, too. “I am so, so embarrassed. You are the worst big sister ever.” 

“Uh-huh,” Meredith ushers her children towards the front door. “You’re so, so full of it.“

She makes sure to shut it behind her. 


	8. untitled caggie ficlet no. 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: caggie + pride

Casey is waiting for Maggie outside of the scrub room of O.R. 2, a garment bag draped over his arm. He’s already changed into his suit.

“Is that my dress?” she asks, pulling her cap off. “Why do you have my dress?”

“Because your surgery ran over and we have to be on the helicopter in twenty minutes.”

“Helicopter?” Maggie pauses, looking at Casey aghast. “What happened to the plane?”

“Your surgery went over,” Casey reminds her. Maggie sighs. 

“There were--complications. It wasn’t my fault.”   


“I know,” Casey puts his hand between her shoulder blades, rubbing softly. “And I watched you. You were amazing.”

“You say that every time.”

“It never stops being true.” 

Maggie ducks her head, smiling. The expression drops, her eyes widening. 

“Wait, you said twenty minutes until the helicopter gets here?” Casey is handing her the garment bag with her dress in it before she’s reaching out. “Why are you just standing there saying nice things to me, I’m making you late--”

“You deserved the compliment.”    


“You are biased, and you aren’t supposed to be complimenting me right now.”   


“I’m not?”

“No. I’m supposed to be complimenting you. It’s your night,” Maggie reminds him. Casey smirks. 

“You can compliment me later. Change now.”

Maggie gives him a look that promises more than compliments later, takes her dress and goes to change. 

“I’ll meet you on the roof in ten minutes!” she calls over her shoulder.

Casey watches her go, thinks about offering to help with her zipper. He really doesn’t want to be late, though.

It’s kind of a big night.

*

“Now,” Maggie smoothes Casey tie as they stand in the lobby of the hotel where the Catherine Fox Award is being presented, “you have your speech?”

Her fingers move to flick imaginary lint of his lapel as she glances up at Casey from under her lashes. Casey’s hands slide to her hips, holding her close. 

“I have my speech. But I don’t think I’ll need it. The people I’m up against…”

“Did not do what you did.”

“This is true.” Casey smiles, although it only lasts a moment. “Also, I’m a little worried that the fact that I’m dating Catherine Fox’s sort of step-daughter, who is also the ex-girlfriend of her son, might make this look like nepotism.”

Maggie’s smiling wide, wider as Casey talks. 

“Okay, when you put it like that, it’s all...weird sounding. But it’s not nepotism. If anything people will be impressed you managed to win the award despite your personal relationship with Catherine. They don’t have to know she doesn’t hate you.”

“Sometimes I think she hates me.”

“That’s just…” Maggie sighs, “Catherine.” Leaning in, Maggie brushes her mouth over Casey’s slow and sweet, hand sliding up to cup his cheek. When she pulls back, she sighs again. 

“We should get inside. Meet up with the people who did  _ not _ miss the plane.” 

Maggie’s expression, however, says she would like to do anything but that. Casey grins, leaning in to kiss her one more time, soft.    


“We could just ditch it,” he suggests when he pulls back, earning himself a very unimpressed look. 

“We are not ditching the Catherine Fox Awards to go neck like teenagers. This is a huge moment for you, Casey Parker. Go in there and claim it.”

 

Later, as Casey stands on stage, giving his carefully prepared speech (painstakingly copied onto index cards in Dahlia’s font-like writing), Amelia leans over to whisper in Maggie’s ear. 

“He looks good up there.”

Maggie beams, sitting up a little straighter, eyes catching Casey’s for just a moment. 

“Yeah,” she agrees, “he does.” 


	9. untitled caggie ficlet no. 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caggie + "What if I kissed you right now?"

It was a beautiful wedding. Maggie sits in a chair that doesn’t have her name in front of it, holding a glass of wine in one hand as she watches Nico spin Levi around until he’s dizzy and collapses into his arms, and laughs. The adoration they have for each other is plain on their faces for the world to see.

It makes her heart ache in her chest, deep and sharp. As nice as it is to see two people find each other the way they have, there’s a loneliness that dims Maggie’s happiness for her friends. 

Maggie knows who’s come to stand next to her before she looks up. Casey smiles at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling, teeth flashing. He offers her a hand.

“May I have this dance, Dr. Pierce?” 

He hasn’t called her that outside of earshot of a patient in almost two years. It makes Maggie laugh to hear it. She sets her wine down, slides her hand into his and lets him pull her to her feet. Their hands stay entwined as he leads her to the dance floor, settles his other palm at a respectful spot on her waist. Maggie puts her other hand on his shoulder. The song has slowed a little; most of the other people dancing are couples. Nico and Levi are holding each other nearby, just swaying.

Casey moves them slowly in a circle. After a few seconds, Maggie allows herself to relax, close her eyes. She can smell Casey’s shampoo, his aftershave. It makes her skin prickle, her scalp, down her spine, a warmth creeping up from the pit of her stomach. 

“You know,” his voice makes her open her eyes again, so close to her ear she can’t hold back the shiver, “you look really beautiful in that dress.” 

“Levi’s mother has good taste,” Maggie demurs, because it’s the truth. As a member of Levi’s wedding party, she didn’t pick out the sage green dress she’s wearing. Casey’s tie matches it in a darker shade and goes very nicely with his dark grey suit. “You look very handsome also.”

“Nico’s mother fought him tooth and nail on the color of the suit,” Casey shoots back, and Maggie laughs. 

As her eyes meet Casey’s, her laughter fades, smile softening into something warmer. The mirth fades from his gaze, and something solemn lights his blue eyes. Their movements slow. 

Maggie swallows.

“Dr. Pierce,” he says, “Maggie.”

“Casey,” she murmurs. The music has stopped, but the world still feels a little like it’s spinning. Maggie bites her lip. 

“What if I kissed you right now?” she asks, voice barely above a whisper. Casey still hears it, though. She knows he does because his eyes widen slightly, drop down to her mouth.

“I think...it would change things,” he tells her, raising his gaze to meet hers again. 

Maggie slides the hand on his shoulder around to curl around the back of his neck, leans in slowly--slow enough that Casey could pull away. Instead, he holds very, very still as she brushes their mouths together.

Weddings are a good time for a change.  


End file.
